COATESVILLE — More than 40 people attended Monday night’s Coatesville Chapter NAACP meeting at City Hall, many criticizing Tonya Thames Taylor’s position as a Coatesville Area school board member and NAACP chapter president.

Some in attendance sought Taylor’s removal from speaking on the behalf of the organization regarding the Coatesville Area School District’s racially charged texting scandal.

Coatesville attorney Lewis Hannah, a former solicitor for the local NAACP chapter and a current chapter member, said he noticed a “clear conflict of interest” about Taylor’s position as a school board member and as a chapter representative. He suggested that Taylor allow chapter Vice President John “Hank” Hamilton to speak regarding the text messages exchanged between former Superintendent Richard Como and former high school Athletic and Activities Director Jim Donato.

A motion and a second came from NAACP members in the audience to remove Taylor from her position and for her to refrain from addressing this issue. But the motion could not be formally decided because it did not appear on the meeting’s agenda, executive committee members explained to the frustrated audience. They could have a chance to place the item on the next meeting agenda.

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“You have a whole town that is so unhappy ... you got to get to the heart of the community to find out what you really need to do,” resident Fonz Newsuan said.

After trying to explain to the spectators that the issue has changed hands from the local chapter to the state chapter, thereby blocking the local chapter’s control over how they would get involved in disciplinary action, the audience insisted Taylor should not speak on the chapter’s behalf about this scandal.

In turn, Taylor insisted she followed NAACP protocol when handling the situation.

“I would have done nothing different,” Taylor said, when asked if she would have done anything differently if she was not a member of the school board.

According to Taylor, the NAACP does not accept anonymous complaints. She said the only complaint regarding the racial text messages she received was via email from a Leroy Coates, which did not “constitute as a complaint” because it was not formally submitted, signed and notarized.

“The policy is clear. It has been clear for the past 100 years,” she said.

Normally when she receives a complaint, she said, she turns it over to the proper administration on the state level for an NAACP investigation to begin. The state conference stepped in to take over the process, setting up public hearings with a selection of panel members listening to complaints before the NAACP plans for the next step.

The NAACP said the public hearings are a part of the organization’s investigation. Once a lawyer becomes involved, the NAACP steps back unless the attorney requests the organization’s involvement, state conference NAACP President Jerome Mondesire explained.

“It is no longer at our level anymore,” Taylor said.

Many in the audience Monday indicated they want the motion halted at last night’s meeting to be placed on the next agenda for a formal consideration.

Acting Assistant Superintendent Teresa Powell, one of the whistleblowers who presented the text messages to Taylor, said, “I went to Dr. Taylor with the text messages because she was with the NAACP.”

Taylor did not directly respond to Powell’s comments, claiming the timeline posted on the school district’s website is enough to explain what had happened in the situation.

“I have clear documentation,” she said before quickly adjourning the meeting.

Mondesire said members of the public can also confront panel members at the hearing with complaints regarding Taylor’s possible conflict of interest and any issues with the process of handling the situation.

Taylor refused to make any comments after the meeting.

The NAACP will hold its first hearing on Oct. 15 in Second Baptist Church, Coatesville. For more details, visit http://coatesvillenaacp.org/